Initially, surf clams were harvested for use in chowders and chopped meats. These became very popular and the use of surf clams exceeded the sustainable yield of the beds. Interest then leaned toward ocean Quahogs. Quahog clams grow in deeper water, beyond the surf clam beds. Demands on the Quahog over the years has made it necessary for boats to steam farther and farther from port in order to harvest sufficient amounts of these clams. On reaching port the clams must be unloaded and hauled to a land-based plant for the shucking and eviscerating process which is time-consuming and expensive. Thus, a long period occurs between the dredging of the clams and the processing thereof with the result that the clams are not as fresh as they would be if processed immediately after harvesting.
Land-based shucking has posed several enviromental problems. One is the disposal of solid waste materials, shells, viscera and sand. The ability to dispose of such material is limited since it must be hauled to landfill areas which is costly. These disposal costs will increase in the future because the number of landfill areas are decreasing.
The liquid waste from the land-based process is conventionally disposed of via ocean outfall. The hauling of solid waste to landfills and transporting the liquid waste to a dumping point in the ocean are very expensive procedures. Furthermore, this land-based process is faced with the obtaining of very stringent permits which will be more difficult in the future.
The availability of municipal water is also a major concern. Water procurement is strictly regulated in most locations. Additional water is not available from most municipal water systems. Land-based production expansion is therefore limited. Because of the excessive amounts of water required and the waste disposal facilities necessary, the land-based processing equipment must necessarily be complicated and expensive.